Did you know the average urban bedroom feels like it is shrinking every single year? It often feels like we are quite literally sleeping in closets! If you are feeling completely claustrophobic, you are definitely not alone. I see so many folks struggling to fit their lives into impossibly small spaces. That is exactly why I put together these 7 tiny room makeover ideas with ikea furniture hacks. We are going to maximize your square footage without emptying your wallet. Let’s get into it!
1. Turn the Kallax Shelving Unit Into a Platform Bed
Alright class, let’s talk about the absolute biggest space-hog in your bedroom. It is your bed frame. When we look at 7 tiny room makeover ideas with ikea furniture hacks, the bed is where we have to start. It takes up so much precious floor space!
The Hidden Space Under Your Mattress
A lot of people just accept that the area under their bed is a dark void. It usually just collects dust bunnies and lost socks. But taking a few basic Kallax shelving units and laying them flat on the floor changes everything.
You create a rock-solid base that holds your mattress up safely. Suddenly, you have a bunch of open cubbies for all your stuff. This clever setup saves you from buying a bulky standalone dresser.
That is super clutch when your square footage is tight. It is one of those things that makes you slap your forehead. You will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
Skipping the Assembly Headache
Now, putting together flat-pack boxes can make you want to pull your hair out. That tiny metal Allen wrench is an absolute nightmare on the hands! Mistakes happen when people try to rush the process.
Sometimes a wooden dowel gets jammed in the wrong hole. Then it gets permanently stuck and ruins the piece. Just take a deep breath and grab a cup of coffee before you start.
Follow the picture instructions closely. Grab a cheap rubber mallet to tap the pieces together. That way you won’t ruin the crisp white finish.
Making it Look Expensive
Once the boxes are completely built, slide some nice woven baskets into the open cubbies. It completely hides your messy workout gear or extra sheets. It also makes the whole setup look super expensive and put together.
Plus, you can attach some cheap pine planks around the bottom edges. This makes it look like a real, built-in platform bed. You really do not need to spend thousands of dollars to get an organized bedroom.
A Quick Word of Warning
Make absolutely sure you measure your mattress before you buy the shelves. A heavy queen-sized mattress needs a specific configuration of units to support the middle weight properly. You do not want to wake up sinking into a weird gap!
I highly recommend picking up some basic metal L-brackets from the hardware store. Use them to secure the separate units together so they do not slide around.
Keep Your Floors Safe
A lot of folks forget about protecting their flooring during these DIY projects. All that heavy particle board can easily scratch up nice hardwood. Grab a pack of cheap felt pads from the dollar store.
Stick them to the bottom of the Kallax units before you flip them over. This simple step saves your apartment security deposit. Plus, it makes the heavy bed much easier to slide if you ever need to clean behind it.
2. Elevate the Besta TV Unit as a Floating Credenza
Let me tell ya, having bulky furniture sitting right on the floor makes a tiny living room feel so heavy. I learned this the hard way when my old TV stand took up half my walking space. Getting your storage up on the wall is an absolute game changer.
The IKEA Besta cabinets are absolutely perfect for this exact problem. You just mount them straight to your wall studs using their handy suspension rails. It makes the whole cabinet look like it is just floating in mid-air.
Because you can see the floor stretching underneath, your brain actually thinks the room is much bigger than it is. It is a neat little visual trick I love sharing with folks. Plus, it makes running the vacuum cleaner underneath a total breeze!
To make it look super expensive, you gotta add a custom wood top. I usually head over to the local hardware store and grab a cheap pine project panel. Just stain it a nice warm walnut color and attach it right to the top of the Besta units.
Do not forget to hide all those ugly TV wires while you are at it. You can easily cut a small hole in the back of the cabinet to string the power cords through. Nobody wants to look at a tangled mess of black cables while they are trying to relax after a long day.
3. Use Trones Shoe Cabinets for Slim Headboard Storage
Sometimes your bedroom is just so incredibly narrow you can barely squeeze a mattress in there. I have seen so many tiny apartments where a regular nightstand simply will not fit. That is exactly where the IKEA Trones shoe cabinets come to the rescue.
These plastic bins are originally meant for shoes, but they are only about seven inches deep. If you stack a few of them side-by-side behind your mattress, they make an amazing skinny headboard. You get a nice little shelf right behind your pillows to rest your phone and a glass of water.
The inside bins pull out easily and give you awesome hidden storage. I like to use them to stash extra winter blankets or heavy sweaters that take up too much closet space. It keeps everything totally dust-free and completely out of sight.
You can even run a basic extension cord right through the back of the plastic bins. Then you have a secret little charging station for your devices hidden right in bed. It really helps clear out all that annoying visual clutter in a tight sleeping space.
4. The Billy Bookcase Built-In Wardrobe Hack
Let me tell you a little secret about small spaces. Built-in closets are incredibly expensive and totally out of reach for most of us normal folks. I remember looking at custom wardrobe quotes once and I nearly fainted right there in my kitchen!
But grabbing a few basic Billy bookcases from IKEA completely solves this problem on a tight budget. You just line them up along a blank bedroom wall and secure them real tight to the studs. Suddenly you have massive amounts of vertical shelving for your clothes, shoes, and bulky sweaters.
To make them look like expensive cabinetry, you just add some basic baseboards and crown molding around the edges. Then give the whole thing a fresh coat of paint to match your bedroom walls perfectly. It completely transforms the space without breaking the bank.
5. Transform the Tarva Dresser with Cane Webbing
Having giant, dark furniture in a tiny room really makes the space feel like a cramped cave. I always tell my students to try lightening up their decor to make things feel nice and airy. The plain pine Tarva dresser is the absolute perfect blank canvas for this kind of project.
You can completely change the look of this basic piece with just a little bit of elbow grease. I love cutting out the middle panels of the drawers and stapling some natural cane webbing to the back. It gives the whole dresser a gorgeous, breezy boho vibe that is super trendy right now.
Throw on a coat of soft sage green paint and swap out those boring wooden knobs for some shiny brass hardware. I seen so many high-end designer pieces that look just like this for hundreds of dollars. Upcycling basic furniture is honestly my absolute favorite way to save money on home decor.
6. Mount Ivar Cabinets for a Custom Fold-Away Desk
Trying to squeeze a home office into a tiny bedroom is a serious struggle for so many of us. A regular desk takes up way too much floor space and just looks messy all the time. Thats why me and my friends are absolutely obsessed with using the shallow Ivar cabinets instead.
You can mount these pine boxes right to the wall at the perfect sitting height. Then, attach a piece of wood with some sturdy drop-down hinges to create a folding work surface. When you are done working for the day, you just fold the desk up and hide your laptop inside.
Paint the cabinets the exact same color as your walls so they visually disappear into the background. Your bedroom goes right back to being a relaxing sleeping space instead of a stressful office. It is such a smart way to get a dual-purpose room without feeling too crowded.
7. Roll the Raskog Cart into a Mobile Nightstand
Sometimes the gap between your bed and the wall is just too small for a normal bedside table. I once had a bedroom where I literally only had about ten inches of clearance on the side! That is exactly where the trusty Raskog utility cart shines the brightest.
Because it is on wheels, you can easily slide this little metal cart in and out of the tightest corners. The three deep tiers give you plenty of room to stash your books, reading glasses, and charging cords safely. You never have to worry about knocking your glass of water off the bed again.
If you want a flat surface on top for a little lamp, just slap a wooden cutting board over the top. IKEA actually sells a butcher block top that fits perfectly right over the top basket. It is a fantastic, mobile storage solution that costs practically nothing.
Conclusion
Well class, that wraps up our lesson on maximizing your small spaces today. I really hope these 7 tiny room makeover ideas with ikea furniture hacks inspired you to grab a drill and get creative. You do not need a huge budget or a massive house to create a beautiful, organized home that you love.
If you found these budget friendly tips helpful, please pin this article to your favorite Pinterest home decor board! Sharing helps out my little blog so much, and I truly appreciate it. Now go tackle those messy bedrooms and let me know how it goes!
